Copying Users

[wyoungblood]

Hello,
When copying users from an old machine to a new one (HP of course), is there any way to preserve the user's password from the old HP? I did not see the option on the useradd command. I googled and saw that on Linux there is a -p option where you can put the encrypted password.

Thanks,
Wayne

[jthrumston]

This might seem like a strange question but wouldn't it be easier to just tar off the /etc/passwd, shadow, group dirs and the /home dirs and copy them over to the new server? or restore them from a backup?

if its an old to new box scenario that seems like the easiest way to do it instead of doing a useradd for each one

[A. Clay Stephenson]

If the system is not Trusted then simply copy /etc/passwd,/etc/group, and the users' home directories from the old box to the new and declare victory. If the system is Trusted then in addition to the above files, copy the /tcb filetree as well.

When doing anything password related, make sure that you are logged in as root in at least two sessions so that you can get yourself out of trouble almost as fast as you got yourself in.

[David Bellamy]

The best way to do this is to just copy all of the home directories and /etc/passwd and /etc/group to the new server. We do this all the time and it works.

[whiteknight]

Wayne,

it is simple in hpux, if you are not in trusted mode.

backup
1) /etc/passwd
2) /etc/group
3) /home

restore to your new machine, it should work.
WK

[wyoungblood]

Thanks All,

I do have a process set up to tar the /home/* and ftp to the new server (and extract), and copying the /etc/passwd, etc. over. I didn't realize just copying those over was all that was to it (I'm not a System Admin and we don't really have one on staff).

Thanks again,
Wayne